Call and Answer
by Wicked Thespian
Summary: Old story. Uses the cast, but focuses on Miroku and Sango. Incomplete. Chapter 3 up.
1. Prologue

**(So this is a story I wrote a very long time ago. Like... near two years ago, if I had to guess. This is the prologue which, as you'll soon see, doesn't actually fit into the rest of the story. And I doubt it ever will. I stopped working on it last year, after completing three chapters (prologue included) and almost finishing a fourth. I post all of this here, though. No one beyond one close friend has ever read this. Hell, I don't even remember what it's about. I know it skips around in time a lot. Anywho. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha. Nor do I claim to. I don't own any of the characters, as much as I want to. That honor goes to Rumiko Takahashi. **

**Read and review if you want. A quick word of warning: the grammar in there is scary bad. I should go through and fix it all, but I have a reputation of being impossibly lazy to maintain.)**

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**Prologue:  
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_A promise is a promise._

He cursed himself for making it, of course. Putting his friends love before his own was something he could not fathom ever doing, and yet, it was done. He snarled as he ran through the thick undergrowth of the forest. What was he thinking? She was only human, after all: with no special training to keep her safe. Yet he had sworn to save the slayer first. Her fate was probably sealed because of it.

The terrain became less wooded as he darted on, the trees around him that were once a thick green blur slowly diminishing. Soon he was crossing bare ground, the trees cleared away for the development of the land. He skidded to a stop, a wall before him. It rose towards the sky, constructed of thick stone and topped with sharpened wooden pikes. He snorted. Something so ancient would not keep him from his goals. He took a few steps back, sizing the wall up as he would an opponent in battle. Then, with two short bounds and one final great leap, he was sailing over the pikes, his cape whistling in the wind. He smiled at his feet, looking down into the amazed faces of both guard and invader alike. He landed, stooping to his knees. No one drew near him. In a flash he was in motion again, his toes digging holes in the dirt beneath his heavy footfalls.

_It was his tears._

Seeing the proud monk break before him was what motivated him to go find the Demon Slayer. After so many denials and rebuttals of accusations he was finally able to admit how deeply his love for her ran. She was out of his arms and out of his sight, and even he did not expect to see her again. But he could not let her go. Tears rolling freely down his cheeks, he had fallen to his knees and begged.

The once noble doorway and high arching ceiling now lay in piles of debris and ruin. The solid oak door had been battered through, its large splinters sticking in the floor and in between rocks like headstones. The siege was in full swing, and going well for the townsfolk. The Citadel guards had been caught with their pants down: they had been too comfortable under the power of their master. They were kids playing dress up in shiny armor, and now they were paying for their folly. But these were not concerns for him. He was bound by an oath to a grieving friend, and to whatever end he was going to fulfill his errand. Beyond the door was the vast castle. It was rank with the scent of blood and tears, human fear and above all death. With his nose, however, he was able to sift through all of these and find a particular scent. Following the faint smell of her blood, he dashed through the castle. He passed through grand seating and entertaining areas, lavishly decorated and untouched by the war outside the castle walls. The pillagers were going to have a field day. His nose led him finally to a hall lined on both sides by doors. It was narrow and dimly lit. He passed through the door and the air became stagnant. All the fragrances off torment and hell that had been so evident in the air were suddenly vanished. Nothing moved in this hall. No breeze followed him as he left the living castle and entered into the realm of death. He snorted indignantly. There was no path for him to follow now, and he was sure he was on the right track. He had no intention of turning back now.

"Fuck!" Spat InuYasha as he sniffed desperately at the air, "This place is like a maze!" He pulled open the nearest door to him, only to find a solid wind behind it. "Damn!"

To protect themselves from looters and invaders, the rich owners of castles had gone to great lengths to hide their most valuable possessions. They built labyrinths under their castles, where their enemies could wander for years in circles. Doors that led to walls or to black, depthless holes were commonplace in old citadels such as this one. This was but the first of many traps he would have to overcome before the end: of this he was sure.

With no other choice before him, InuYasha began to criss-cross through the long hall, opening every door. With every dead end, gapping hole, or useless room he found his frustration mounted. Soon he was ripping the doors from their metal hinges. After what felt like an eternity of wasted time and effort he found what he was looking for. His blood was boiling, his anger and annoyance at its peak. He ripped the final door from its mountings, not bothering to notice that this one, unlike the others, had been locked. It ripped clean away, taking with it a large chunk of the surrounding wall and ceiling. The half-demon entered the room quickly, small piles of debris collecting behind him. A wave of scents rushed at InuYasha, blowing into his face violently. Death was a regular visitor here. He closed his eyes and took a moment to sift through them. Her scent was there, stronger than ever. He was close.

"Sango!" He called suddenly, a cold sense of urgency wrapping itself around his heart. The scent of her blood was strong in his nose. Too strong, he feared.

The room around him was bathed in an almost tangible black. It was not pitch, however, and his keen eyes were not deterred by the darkness. After a moment of adjusting he was easily able to scan the room. He took a slight step back towards the wrecked doorway, taken aback by the decrepit conditions of the dungeon. From the door the walls circled, then met again to form a long hallway. As he passed through the circular portion of the area his eyes were fixed upon the numerous weapons and torturous gadgets that hang from the stone walls and were shoved haphazardly into drawers and other containers. They were all covered in layers of blood, probably never once cleaned from the day they were first used. He shuddered and quickened his pace, entering into the hall.

Flanking him at a larger distance than the hall he had just been in were rows of cages. Some were smaller than others as he passed them, peering in and sniffing, but each one held a level of cruelty that made his stomach lurch. Some of the cells were used as storage, piled near to the ceiling with the dead bodies and rotting skeletons of the more fortunate prisoners. Others held the larger torture devices, such as caskets lined with needles and a wheel on which a prisoner would be strapped and rolled until his back broke. As he continued on towards the end of the hall, InuYasha began to pass cells that were still inhabited. The pathetic creatures, some so beaten their species was undeterminable, screamed at him, begging him to let them free. He was their last hope, the only hope they had had in a very long time. He ignored them, his face stiffening in grim determination. He heard their weeping, piercing and inhuman, but did not turn to them. He looked in to their cells only once, avoiding eye contact, looking only for the Demon slayer.

He felt his footsteps unconsciously slowing as the darkness around him grew deeper. It was choking, and he stretched his out his arms in an effort to keep from running in to anything. Even his half-demon eyes could not see past his nose. He reached the last of the cells, his hands feeling the moist stone of the moldy wall. He peered hesitantly into the cell, still smelling his friend in the air. If she was anywhere, she had to be in here. The cold grip seized him again, slowing his heart and running ice through his veins. There was nothing. No crying prisoners. No dead bodies. No instruments of torture. He rumbled angrily, a deep-throated growl that rose from the depths of his demon soul. He let out a defeated yell, slamming his fists against the bars. They bent and threatened to give way, buckling in protest.

"Damn it!" He pulled away reluctantly, turning his back to the bars. "Where is she!"

In answer, there came a slight, almost inaudible rattle of chains from inside the cell behind him. InuYasha span on his heels and, at the same time, swung his claws at the pitiful excuse for a lock, removing it and most of the bars that had surrounded it in two passes. The door swung inwards as he rushed inside, creaking on its hinges. He cursed. The darkness and his deep feeling of futility had tricked him in to missing her.

She was hidden in the very back of the cell, covered in shadow. Her arms were drawn up above her head, suspended from the ceiling by a thick iron chain and rusted manacles. Her toes barely touched the floor. InuYasha approached her slowly, squinting through the darkness.

"Sango?" He said softly, stopping before her. She did not raise her head from its lifeless position against her chest. InuYasha was suddenly aware that his feet were submerged in a thin puddle on the floor. It was warm, and he did not have to look down to know that it was her blood. He wrapped one hand around her waist to support her and used the other to slice the cuffs that held her. She fell into him, her arms falling weightlessly to her sides. InuYasha slowly lowered himself to the floor, taking her into his lap. He was aware that he was sitting in blood, but he could not be bothered with that thought. "Oh… Sango…" He breathed.

Her body was cold in his arms. Without light, he could not make out her injuries very clearly. He used his arm to pillow her head tenderly, his other hand tracing her body delicately. The first thing he noted was her nakedness, which he found disturbing. He could think bring himself to think what that might entail about her torture. He ran his hand down her back, his fingers slipping into numerous bloody grooves. She did not wince as he did this. The wounds on her back were all very deep, and reasonably fresh with the amount of blood on his hand when he pulled it close to his face to investigate. But they were not fatal, as far as he could tell. They were not wounds of battle, but of torture. How long she had been suspended and at the mercy of these demons he did not know. He then ran his hand across her smooth stomach, where he found a worrisome wound. It was crusted with blood, and obviously much older than the cuts on her back, but it was deep and still weeping. He did not aggravate it by poking it too much. It was a stab wound from a short sword or a knife, probably what had lost her the battle and had gotten her caught. He closed his eyes and shook his head. He could not linger here longer with Sango in such a condition. He would have to get her to the monk.

He rose to his feet slowly, taking her into his arms. Her body was feather light, her head lulling lifelessly over his elbow. He looked down at her, and he pitied her. He stooped once more, resting her in his lap as he took off the cape Kagome had given him not a week before. After he had wrapped her in it her got up once more, cradling her against his chest like he would a child.

"You have to hold on, Sango!" He whispered fervently. "He's waiting for you."

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Getting out of the citadel was as easy as it had been getting in, even with the unconscious passenger in his arms. Amid the flames and chaos he went unnoticed. They were all too absorbed in their futile war to care about the Half-demon at the moment. That suited him perfectly. In a matter of minutes, InuYasha was clearing the stone perimeter fence for a second time, and then was kicking up foliage as he raced through the forest as quickly as his feet would carry him. He reached the run-down house they had taken as their shelter and slowed himself to a walk. The Monk was standing in the doorway, leaning on his staff, waiting for InuYashas return. InuYasha walked up to him, panting heavily. It was a solemn greeting as InuYasha gingerly handed Sangos limp body over to Miroku. The Monk nodded and took the Demon slayer into the house. InuYasha stared after him for a moment, eager to see if she was going to be all right. But he was compelled, now more than ever, to find Kagome. If Sango had been beaten so badly, he dared not think about the condition the human would be in. He clenched his fist, his resolve hardening, and turned back towards the castle. He would save Kagome, or die in the process. There was no compromise.

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Miroku put Sango down on a makeshift bed he had created out of sheets and discarded pieces of cloth. There was nothing in the small hut besides what they had brought with them, and the people of the town had little else. Poverty was something everyone shared here, under their maniac ruler. He stood over her for a moment, staring down at the cloak InuYasha had wrapped her in and recognizing it. He flinched and turned away, going about the house and gathering what little medical supplies they had in their packs. Kirara, ever faithful to Sango, crawled across the floor and let out a mournful whimper. She put her head on her masters' ankle, shivering at the touch of her skin. 

Miroku returned, his arms full of bandages and small bottles of ointments. He knelt beside Sango, taking a moments pause before pulling back the cape. He looked on her naked body and felt a stab of pain and regret. She was so helpless now, without her armor and weapons. How could he have let her go without him? Shaking his head and hardening himself, he looked her over for serious wounds. Across her temple was a large gash that had swollen her eye closed on that side. Her hair was matted with blood. Miroku touched two fingers to her colorless lips. There were raised welts on her bare breasts and neck, probably from being strangled. Her left arm was broken, the bone visible through a great, gory hole. This seemed to be the oldest of all the wounds, clotted thick with blood and discolored horribly from infection.

Miroku dropped the bandages and ointment he had been preparing to use suddenly, bending over her. He placed an ear to her chest, eyes shut tightly.

"Sango… please wake up!" He whispered through clenched teeth, listening to the stillness of her body, "For me… for me, Sango! I… you can't go… not without me. I love you, Sango!" He took her into his arms, burying his face into her breathless neck. His sobs shook them both violently, and Kirara jumped. The animal paced desperately at her masters' feet, meowing helplessly. Miroku let out a moan of utter despair, his voice carried on the wind.

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InuYasha, mid leap over the wall for a third time, was struck suddenly by that cold grip that had been following him. He tumbled out of the air, plopping on the ground gracelessly. He did not move, blinking dumbly. Death loomed over him ominously in the form of black rain clouds. He stared at the ground that cushioned his face, his single tear rolling slowly down his cheek. He closed his eyes and leapt to his feet, letting out a scream that caused any human near by to buckle at the knees and fall to the floor in terror. Eyes ablaze with the thought of revenge, he looked up at the citadel before him. Where ever the demon was hiding with Kagome, InuYasha would find him and exact his revenge for all of this suffering. 


	2. Chapter 1

**(Takes place... two weeks before the prologue? I think that's where I set it. It's been a long time, man. Read, review, enjoy. All of that is up to you, of course. I couldn't tell you what happens even if I wanted to. Grammar still not fixed. Far too lazy.) **

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**Chapter 1:  
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The early morning sun broke over the mountains to a clouded sky. The radiance of the dawn rained down into the low valley in blotches, lighting small patches of rain heavy grass. The rain had died from the night before, and the day was already promising to be hot and clear. In the distance a birdcall went up, carried on the wind to be blown over the faces of six sleeping bodies, bringing them from their peaceful slumber. The first to wake was a young, raven-haired girl. She yawned lightly, closing her big brown eyes from a ray of sun that suddenly lit her fine young face. Sighing, she rubbed the back of her stiff neck, looking down at a rock she had slept on without noticing. Her companions lay scattered about her, all still sound asleep: oblivious to the wondrously beautiful morning. The girl sat up slowly, careful not to wake the child that slept at her side. Despite her efforts, the young boy stirred and yawned. After blinking the nights' dreams away, the small boy smiled up at the girl.

"Good morning, Kagome!" The boy said happily, pushing his short arms outward and flexing his fingers, "Did you sleep well?"

Kagome nodded, raising a finger to her lips.

"The others are still asleep, Shippo." She answered in a whisper, smiling brightly. The small boy scoffed, wiggling his bushy tail in irritation. He got to his feet: small, three toed pads with lithe, furry ankles. He twitched his pointed ears, his sharp green eyes darting around.

"Lazy bones!" He said, his voice just above a whisper in acknowledgement, "Why are we the first ones up?"

"They fought a hard battle last night. Of course we're up first: we didn't do anything but watch!" Kagome chuckled. She had, in truth, done much more than simply watch the battle, but didn't feel the need to bring it up. The fox-demon sighed heavily, which turned into a large yawn. His sharp fangs glinted in the spreading sunlight.

"Yeah, well… they let the jewel shard get away. We won't be able to catch him again if they laze about much longer."

"What do you know about anything, Shippo?" Came a gruff, sleep heavy voice from a few feet behind them. Kagome smiled and turned to look at the owner: a grumpy looking half dog-demon named InuYasha. "I can still smell him. Besides, who could sleep with you babbling like an idiot?"

The youthful looking young man was sitting cross-legged on a large rock, his head bowed slightly. Long white hair fell before his eyes and down his muscular back, touching the rock he was seated on. His bangs half covered his forehead, which was creased in agitation. His dog like ears were perked, poking through his thick hair. His arms were folded over his chest, his old sword in its scabbard nestled in the crook of his arm. His baggy red clothes looked as though they would drown him.

"Shut up!" Shippo yelped, leaping an impossible distance at InuYasha. Kagome caught him mid-flight, giggling.

"You two are impossible! Relax, Shippo! InuYasha is just playing with you! Right, InuYasha?" She looked at him sharply, but kindly. Shippo relaxed and Kagome put him down.

"Yeah, whatever." InuYasha got to his feet, dusting off his pants. He had been atop that rock, sitting in that position, watching over Kagome protectively through the night. He leapt down from his perch, digging the long claws on his bare feet into the refreshingly wet grass once he landed. "Better wake the others before the scent grows cold." He motioned with his thumb to the last three of their party. Kagome nodded, smiling and blushing at the sight of them. Giggling, she turned her attention away from them, forcing herself to focus on gathering up the few possessions she had brought from home.

InuYasha walked stiffly over to the two humans and the demon, scratching at his back as he went. He stopped before them, kicking his foot into the lush grass and flinging water into the closest ones' face. The human girl mumbled something incoherent and blinked awake. She pushed herself up from the ground into a sitting position a felt a heavy arm fall from around her shoulder. Her face flushed brightly with embarrassment as she looked down at the sleeping man. Leaping quickly to her feet, she shoved the man away. He groaned and rolled over, taking the small cat-demon that had been sleeping next to him into his arms.

"What did I interrupt, eh Sango?" Grinned InuYasha coyly. Sango glared dangerously at him, slinging her weapon, the hiraikotsu: a large boomerang made of the bones of slain demons, over her back, the strap crossing down and across her chest. She busied herself by straightening her kimono.

"Nothing, InuYasha: and you know it!" She said through gritted teeth.

Sango, the Demon Slayer, was thoroughly embarrassed. Her cheeks burned, and she knew the redness of her face stretched to her ears. Of the group, Sango had been the first to fall to sleep: the night before having been particularly difficult for her. The monk, Miroku, had slipped beside her during the night without her knowledge and had taken her into his arms. She was completely innocent, save for the lingering feeling of content that was now plaguing her.

"I bet." Sneered InuYasha, "When Miroku is done cuddling Kirara, tell him we're ready to track that jewel shard." He waved his hand and walked back over to Kagome and Shippo. Sango looked down at Miroku, kicking him none too gently.

"Hmm?" He yawned, and then noticed that it was Kirara, the small and fluffy cat-demon, in his arms and not Sango. He got to his feet, patting the cat on the head, and cleared his throat. He leaned on the golden, ringed staff that he was his weapon of choice and looked at Sango, blissfully serene. His blue robes were creaseless, the dirt on them blending to give them a deceptively clean look. "Good morning, Sango." He said after a long, awkward pause.

"Just what did you think you were doing?" She asked, standing with a hand on her hip and surveying him keenly with her deep brown eyes. He smiled, looking genuinely confused by the question, but only too glad to abide her.

"Sleeping?" His cool, collected manner was shaken a bit by the sudden, threatening clenching of her fist. He took a casual step away from her.

"With your arm around me?" She growled lowly, squinting at him and following his step. Miroku coughed.

"Perhaps we should be on our way? The others are looking impatient with us." He frowned, her angry glare and uncomfortably raised fist not relaxing. She looked as though she would strike him if he attempted to pass her without explaining himself. He bowed his head to her, raising a hand with two fingers raised to his face in the apologetic way of his teachings. "My intentions were pure, I promise. You were worn from our battle with the Shadow-demon, and cold from his magic and the heavy night. I used my body to keep you warm."

Sango seemed to buy this, sighing and letting her hand drop to her side. Shaking her head, she turned on him and walked towards InuYasha and the others.

"Come on, then." She said, calling over her shoulder to him. "Come on, Kirara!"

The small, two-tailed cat-demon got to her feet, stretching out her back legs grandly. After a large one and a good scratch she ran to catch up to her friend, master, and partner Sango. Mewing jovially, she leapt from the ground to Sangos' shoulder, rubbing Sangos' face with her with her furry head. Sango laughed and scratched Kirara behind the ear, which she loved. Kagome waved to them as they drew near, and began to say something but was cut off as Sango froze suddenly in her tracks. Miroku, who had been walking beside her, stopped as well. Knowing what was coming, the monk removed his wandering hand from Sangos' rear and braced himself with a look of grim anticipation. Sango reeled around sharply and smacked him across the face, leaving an imprint of her hand burning on his cheek. She then stormed away from him, going over to Kagome. The monk, his features expressionless, bowed his head in a mixture of pain and defeat.

"That pervert'll never learn." Snorted InuYasha. He clapped his hands together, drawing attention away from Miroku, and turned his nose to the air. He breathed deeply and slowly, tasting the air. Raising a finger, he said, "He went that way. His scent is strong. He must not be able to heal from the wounds we dealt him last night. He's slow: his blood is thick on the wind! Come on, we've wasted enough time."

"Lead on, then." Said Miroku mildly. He joined the group, standing a safe distance from Sango, whose eyes were boring into him bitterly. InuYasha snorted at him again, but did as was told. His pace was quick, which at first surprised the others.

"If he's so injured, why are we practically flying?" Panted Sango, after a length of travel. She carried Kirara in her arms. The cat-demon was still suffering from a spell the demon had hit her with the night before, which meant she was too weak to transform into her much larger form and carry Sango and Miroku. This left them running after the much faster InuYasha.

They had set out at a speedy walk, but Kagome soon tired. InuYasha had since taken her onto his back and the group was forced by him to run. That had been nearly three hours past with no letting up. Kagome looked back at the two lagging humans. Shippo, who was resting comfortably in her arms, looked up at her.

"Is everything okay?" He asked, only half awake.

"Miroku and Sango are tired." Kagome answered, slightly worried that InuYasha would ignore them.

"Gah!" InuYasha growled. He stopped suddenly, kicking up a storm of dust and nearly bucking the two from his back. He span, his heels digging into the earth, to face Sango and Miroku. The two came slowly to a stop, panting heavily. Miroku, especially, seemed uncharacteristically weary.

"We're 'flying'," InuYasha spat, growling fiercely at Sango, "because we don't know how long we have until he recovers. He has a jewel shard! He can use it to heal himself and ambush us, or to escape us! We have to catch him while he's down! His powers are greatest at night: we saw that, so we have to catch him before sunset!"

Sango squinted at him.

"What if you're running us into another battle? A trap of some kind? We'll all be too weary to battle if we go on like this for too long. And besides," She looked up at the sun, "It's high noon: no time for a Shadow-demon to be running around, no matter his strength. Can you tell me how far he is from us?"

InuYasha let Kagome down from his back and stooped to the ground, sniffing intently. Kagome went to sit on the ground with Miroku. They had not yet passed through the vast, open valley. A few miles ahead of them was a small, ominously dark forest, and beyond that many more miles of open grassland, surrounded on two sides by a towering mountain range. The sun had melted the clouds and now beat down on them mercilessly. Kagome raised an arm to shield her face from the bright heat.

"Are you okay, Miroku?" She asked, cautiously sitting just out of reach of his hand.

"Yes, I am tired from last night. My hand burns from his shadow magic." He held his right hand in his left gingerly. He had used the cursed Kazaana, or Wind Tunnel, to absorb a spell that had been intentionally released to poison him through the black hole in his hand, and the pain from it had only increased from then. His hand, and the blessed beads that kept the black hole in line, were rimmed with a thin black aura. Kagome frowned at it, then looked into Mirokus' face. He avoided her eyes.

"You're worried?"

"It will pass," Miroku said, putting his hands in his lap as if to erase them from thought. He smiled at her, strengthening his voice in an effort to sound more believable. "It will pass."

Sango tapped her foot on the ground impatiently, oblivious to the conversation behind her. InuYasha straightened up and turned to face her.

"He passed here three hours ago: at the most." InuYasha said, smirking in vague triumph.

"Then in four hours we have covered the ground that he had traveled since our battle ended. Either he is still suffering from the wounds we gave him, or he's waiting for us. In any case, he would not risk being caught in open land at high sun. He'll be in that forest, I know it." She motioned to the dark forest in the distance. InuYasha turned to see it, wrinkling his nose.

"I'd smell him if he was! As clear as anything, the way that guy smells. What makes you think he hasn't already passed the forest? He can move through the shadows of the trees and be out in no time."

"Out into miles of sun. No, he's in that forest…" Sango bit her lower lip hesitantly. A cold, sourceless breeze passed over the small hillock they were standing on, sending a chill down her spine. The bright sun made the grass of the open valley below them shimmer like glass, and yet the forest lay entirely in shadow. It was untouched by the light, as if it dared not intrude. "I think we should be careful…"

"Damn it, Sango!" InuYashas' hand was on his swords hilt, his eyes now glued on the forest on the horizon. "That shard is right there, waiting for us to get it! I don't have time for your stupid caution! I'll go alone if you don't come with me, you coward!" With that he leapt forward, moving with shocking speed.

"InuYasha!" Cried all four of his companions. Kagome was on her feet.

"Wait!" Sango yelled over the others. It was too late; he was already out of earshot. Sango turned to Kagome. "Why is he so intent? He's acting out of desperation." She watched as Kagome looked at her feet thoughtfully. If anyone could claim they understood the half-demon, it was Kagome. She raised her eyes to the sky.

"He won't wait for night…" She said, "Because the demon gets so strong at night… he may not have said it, but I think he was really scared last night. That demon could have killed him, and he knows that even with his demon powers he might lose if the demon gets to full power again… so he's rushing to catch the demon before the sun sets!"

"It that's true, he's throwing himself into more danger than need be, just out of haste. The demon may be just as powerful in the shadows of those trees as he is at night." Miroku sighed, getting to his feet slowly, "We have to go after him and stop him, if we can."

Sango shook her head.

"I'll go after him. Miroku, I know you're hand is injured." Miroku raised his eyebrows in surprise, but did not ask how she knew. "And anyway," She went on, "Kirara is too weak to carry more than me. You'll have to stay here and protect Kagome and Shippo. I don't know if there is a trap waiting for InuYasha at the forest, but if there is we might all be involved."

Miroku nodded. Kagome frowned, but kept silent. Sango looked at Kirara, who she still had in her arms.

"Kirara, I need you to be strong for me, okay? I need you to get me to that forest. I know you're tired, but I promise you can rest once we get there." The cat nodded, her eyes hardening with resolve. She leapt from Sangos arms and, in a burst of flames, transformed into her much larger and more ferocious form. Sango climbed onto Kiraras' back as gently as possible, then looked at the others.

"Follow after us once you've got your breath back." She patted Kirara, "Go on, as fast as you can!" With a kick of her flaming ankles, Kirara roared and took to the air, following the path InuYasha had taken. Sango looked at Kagome as she rode off, nodding at her. She answered in the same fashion, smiling vaguely and waving.

Miroku looked at the ground.

"So this is what feeling useless is." He said, looking at his hand. The burden of his curse grew everyday, and he was painfully aware of it.

"Welcome to our world." Shippo said, climbing to sit on Kagome's shoulder.

"How did she know?"

"Miroku, Sango knows you better than any of us… because you're such good friends… and she knows demons, too. She can put two things together: even I noticed you were off." Kagome put a comforting hand on his shoulder, her bright eyes locking with his. He smiled vaguely with a corner of his mouth, feeling better just by her company. "Let's rest now. Those two will be fine. We'll… we'll follow after them once you're breathing better."

Miroku nodded, raising his eyes to watch Sango and Kirara shrink into the horizon.


	3. Chapter 2

**(Very long chapter that could probably be cut up a bit better. Takes place the night before chapter one. No, really. I skip around through time like crazy. I don't know what I was thinking, but there you go. Hunting and fighting a Shadow Demon, methinks. I'm too lazy to read it. If you bother to, though, please leave a review and let me know how it goes. Bad grammar is STILL there.)**

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**Chapter 2**

The high ground, a small cliff with large boulders that jutted out at random angles through the grass, looked down into the vast, open valley that was devoid of any tree or brush. The crisp, green grass stretched towards the horizon in an uninterrupted sea of hills and plains. Far in the distance, dim and small in the gathering darkness, was a range of snow-topped mountains. The sun hovered high above the peaks, diminishing in size and light as night crept inevitably closer. Heavy black rain clouds waited overhead with the ominous intention of loosing their storms across the valley. They were thick with water, hardly able to contain it, and yet still they waited for the time of their own choice. On this cliff stood the six companions, surveying this scene. A cold wind rolled down from the mountains, whipping over the grass like a wave, breaking over their faces.

"I smell demon." InuYasha said, his voice unintentionally loud. He stood atop a high rock that jutted out from the face of the low cliff. The hillock on which they stood seemed like an ugly scar on an otherwise blemish free body. With its white wall and sparse, dead grass it did not fit in with the beauty around it. The half-demon had his hands on his sword, one wrapped around the hilt while the other gripped the scabbard. "Really close, too."

"The wind could be deceiving your nose." Said Miroku serenely. His sharp blue eyes scanned the horizon critically while his mind swept over the land. "I do feel something abnormal here, but not a demon. If what you say is correct, then this demon is unimaginably weak." InuYasha squinted down at the monk, who was standing beside him but on the ground just below.

"I don't know why you think your guesses are more reliable than my nose!" He said. He sniffed the air indignantly, just to be sure. "There is definitely a demon here."

"Kirara senses it too." Said Sango from behind them. She held the small cat demon in her arms. Kiraras soft, cream fur was bristling, her black ears flat against her head. She was growling lowly, her nose wrinkled, her two tails rigidly twitching. Sango ran a hand through the fur on her back to comfort her. "It's strong, what ever it is." She said, looking down at Kirara, her forehead knit in concern. She thought about following Mirokus example and scanning the horizon for signs of the demon, but the deepening gloom stole her attention. The clouds were moving against the wind, gathering together and in doing so blocking the slowly setting sun from view. Sango frowned, finding something vaguely familiar in the unnatural movements of the clouds.

Kagome, with Shippo on her shoulder, climbed onto a boulder not too far from InuYasha. The young fox-demon slid from his perch as she climbed, and had to catch on to her shoulder with his sharp claws to keep from falling. Kagome winced and reached up, taking Shippo into her arms once she was safely on the boulder. She squinted through the dimming light, and Shippo followed her gaze. He could not see it, but there was something in the distance. It flickered and danced, moving fleetingly away from them. Kagome gasped, drawing backwards so suddenly that she nearly threw herself from the rock. She wheeled 'round, pointing off in the direction she had seen the flicker.

"A jewel shard!" She yelled in excitement. All the group turned their heads in her direction, including Shippo who craned his head backwards to looked up at her chin. She nodded at their bewildered looks, her hand hoping up and down as she pointed fervently. "InuYasha, look there! See that shadow? You must be right! There's a jewel shard running from us!"

Miroku hopped up to share the boulder with InuYasha, straining his eyes against the darkness to see what Kagome had meant. There was, to his surprise, a thick shadow moving across the grass. It did not move very quickly, and Miroku was unable to determine what it was. Even with it in his sights, he could not feel the presence of an evil demon coming from it. InuYasha pushed Miroku out of his way, sending the monk toppling from the rock. He caught himself and landed on his feet, spinning around to glare up at the half demon in irritation.

"A jewel shard!" InuYasha followed the invisible line traced by Kagomes finger and saw the shadow for himself. He gagged on a scoff, looking over at the girl, "Why didn't you see it earlier, Kagome?" He asked accusingly, his shoulders tense and his jaw set firm. He didn't wait longer than that for an answer, however. He leapt from the boulder, his powerful legs launching him across the valley in a burst of almost blinding speed. He was running before he landed, his bare toes biting into the earth and kicking up clods of dirt as he took off in the direction of the jewel shard. These clods, accompanied by torn grass and various bugs, hit Miroku who was only a few moments behind InuYasha. He yelled in annoyance, his arms raised as shields against the unintended barrage. His voice, however, was lost against the pounding of his sandaled feet and the whistling of the wind about his ears.

Kirara leapt from Sangos arms. With a roar that grew from a soft meow to a deafening thunder she transformed. Fire enveloped her as her lithe body lengthened and thickened with powerful muscles. Her bushy, black striped tails grew and whipped at the air, flames rustling through the thick fur harmlessly. Her black paws grew in size, claws emerging from thickly padded toes, and her ankles were wreathed in fire. Her muscles rolled and tightened powerfully, while her teeth lengthened and sharpened. Two fangs grew down from the roof of her mouth to the size and lethality of knives. The fire washed away on the wind, save for the wisps on her ankles and tails. She roared once more, boldly and in earnest, nodding her head at Sango. Sango, after handing her pack to Kagome to care for, leapt on to the demons back. She was wearing her casual kimono and long green skirt; not having time enough to change into her armor. The Hiraikotsu was strapped to her back, and she had tucked her katana, in its scabbard, into the sash around her waist. Before rushing after the two boys, she turned to Kagome.

"Don't get too close, either of you." She looked quickly at Shippo with a stern glance, and he nodded quickly, "I have a very bad feeling about this, and Kirara does too. Take care of each other." At this Kagome and Shippo exchanged bemused looks. Sango was gone, however, before either could question her worry. Kiraras heavy paws kicked at the air and she took flight almost effortlessly, Sango bent low over her back with her arms around her neck. The two left on the hillock watched as Kirara and Sango cut through the air after the boys, flames curling in their wake.

Kagome plopped herself dejectedly on the rock, legs crossed with her elbows on her knees and her hands cupping her face. She sighed heavily, her eyes straining across the distance after her friends. She could see nothing now, save the occasional glimmer of the jewel shard. Shippo hopped from her shoulder and nestled himself in her lap. She looked down at him, her face bland.

"I guess we just sit here and wait for them to come back with that shard." Said the fox-demon, sounding very pleased with the idea. He made himself comfortable in her lap, resting on his side with his head on her thigh and his legs curled up against his chest. His eyes did not stray from Kagomes face, however, and the sadness of it destroyed his good feeling. He sat up, leaning against her leg with his arms folded over his chest. "What? Do you want to go and fight with them, Kagome?"

"No." Answered Kagome after a moments' thoughtful pause. "No, I don't like battles. I just wish there was something I could do to help them more often." She leaned back, putting her hands on the boulders surface behind her to keep balance.

"You can see the jewel shards! Without you we'd be chasing out tails!" Shippo said happily, his cheerful green eyes sparkling with his natural, youthful exuberance, "And you're a great shot with your bow, too!"

"Hmm…" Kagome looked up at the sky, and Shippo knew that the conversation was over. He continued to watch her face, unsure as to if he had helped her or not. Her gaze did not flicker down to him, however; but instead grew more and more intent on the sky.

"Are you okay?" Kagome jumped at the sound of Shippos voice. The silence between them had grown thick, though; she had not been aware of it. Shippo patted her knee apologetically, continuing, "You look confused. What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" Still she did not look down at him. Frowning, Shippo followed her eyes into the sky, but could not figure out what puzzled her. In this way the two looked exactly alike, staring into the stars with a shared look of confusion. "The sky." Kagome stated after another long spell of silence, "Doesn't it seem dark to you?"

"It's night time, Kagome." Shippo looked at her as if she had gone mad, arching an eyebrow at her. She shook her head and pointed, directing his attention once again towards the sky. He looked off to where she was pointing, and soon caught what she had meant. His fur bristled as a shiver ran down his spine. "Now that you mention it… it does. It's cold, too. And there's no wind now! The sky is so thick… and look! Those clouds are covering the sun!" It was his turn to point now. He leapt from Kagomes lap and directed Kagome to look toward the mountaintop. The rain clouds had multiplied, and they now blanketed the sky so thickly that not one ray of the evening sun could break through. The air below the clouds was heavy and hung listlessly, shutting out the starlight and creating a curtain of black that spread across the entire valley. It grew thicker, Kagome thought, in the direction InuYasha and the others had gone. She was startled from her contemplation by this thought.

"InuYasha!" She got to her feet, stumbling in her haste. She looked out across the valley, standing on the very tips of her toes to get a better view. Shippo copied her, though, he did not know what she was looking for. "They must have caught the demon by now, if that's what it was. I can still see the jewel shard… kind of… they must be fighting it."

"Yeah, but I can't see any sign of a fight, and I can't hear anything either. Do you think something's happened to them?"

"I don't know…" She felt her chest tingle as she swallowed down her anxiety. "You remember what Sango said? That she had a bad feeling about this? Now I have it!"

Shippo looked up at Kagome thoughtfully, skeptically.

"But Miroku said he didn't feel a demon. I didn't either…" He closed his eyes and let his mind expand over the valley. He seized suddenly hugging himself tightly as he shivered. "But now I do! Kagome, I don't know how Miroku missed it… it's almost unbearable. This presence, I don't know what it is, but I've never felt anything like it… It's just evil, and it's growing! Like this horrible darkness!" He quivered, his body suddenly overcome with terror, "Kagome! I'm scared!"

Kagome knelt down and picked Shippo up, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly to her chest. She sat down with him, rocking protectively. She was surprised at how furiously he was shivering.

"Don't worry. Ill protect you: and the others will protect us!" She looked down at the young demon in her arms, concerned and bewildered by his sudden submission to fear. He curled up in her arms, covering his face with his bushy light brown tail. She raised her eyes to the horizon and felt herself shudder at the thought of her friends in danger. "Shippo… we can't sit here and do nothing…"

"But you don't like battles!" Shippo cried, his voice muffled by his tail and hands, "You told me you would protect me! Now you want to go and fight?"

"Shippo, we don't even know if the others are okay or not. But if they're not," She gently put Shippo down and stood, leaping from the rock and going to the pile of packs that the others had left her with. She stooped and fished from the pile her bow and quiver. "We have to go and help them. The least we can do is go and check. I know you're scared: I am too. I can feel the shards power, and its black and evil. But… InuYasha risks his life for us everyday and if he needs me to, I'll do the same. Right now I feel like he needs me!" She floundered for words, her red face hidden by the darkness. Shippo worked his way to his feet slowly, steeling himself. Kagome looked down at him. "I'll protect you, I promise. Stay here where it's safe."

Shippo was silent as Kagome readied to lower herself over the face of the small cliff. She paused, however, when he ran to her and spoke.

"I don't want to be safe if it means I could lose you and all my other friends." He spoke firmly, nodding his head. His eyes were rimmed with tears, his insides torn in the battle against the evil he felt in the air. He leapt at her, climbing up her body until he was in her arms and she was hugging him tightly. She looked at him in surprise. "If you're going to be brave and do something you don't want to do like fight, then I will too! I'm not a coward! I'll go with you, Kagome, and protect you like InuYasha does."

"Shippo…" She felt as though she should protest: tell him he had to stay here. What could he do in battle, if it were a serious one? But she couldn't bring herself to let him go, "Okay. We'll protect each other, and the others. Ready?" In truth, she hardly felt capable of answering this question. Shippo, however, was fully resolved.

"Yeah!" He answered quickly, a hint of his regular cheerfulness returning to his tone. Kagome found comfort in this and she smiled at her small friend.

"Okay." Shippo climbed to her shoulder so she could have her hands free. She took a deep breath and then started forward, slowly climbing down the rock face to the soft grass below.

Not being blessed with fighting skills, years of training, or demon powers: Kagome knew she had a long walk before her.

* * *

InuYasha and Miroku ran side by side, their footfalls almost identical. Both had slowed from their earlier racing. They wanted to conserve some energy in case they had to fight the demon for the jewel shard, which was generally the way things happened. As they went on they began to realize that the world around them was nothing but black, and though they ran close to each other, Miroku could only just make out InuYashas profile beside him with his human eyes. 

"This is definitely the work of a powerful demon." Said Miroku, his tone heavy. He had been wrong earlier when he had adamantly protested to there being a demon. He did now know how he had erred: even now he could only sense the presence of resounding evil. It felt, to him, as if it were bodiless: that the darkness itself was what they should be concerning themselves with. He yelled to InuYasha, despite how close they were, and still his voice fell flat on the dead air. "But I still cannot sense it. We're close: we must be. The shadows here are so thick, and the oxygen is very thin. This must be a shadow demon we're dealing with. We must proceed with caution."

"Pfft. Man, I'm glad you came along: I would never have guessed that." InuYasha said, his tone dripping sarcasm. The half-demon stopped abruptly, catching Miroku by the arm and pulling him violently from his run.

"Hey, what are you doing, InuYasha!" Yelped the monk angrily. He yanked his arm away from InuYashas claws, rubbing his shoulder. He had almost succeeded in pulling it from its socket. InuYasha scowled at him, and then pointed.

"There's the demon you can't sense!" He said with a growl. Miroku squinted, expecting not to be able to see what InuYasha was pointing at. He surprised, though not pleasantly, that the demon was only a few feet from them, and he could distinguish it as if it were bathed in light.

The creature loomed over them ominously, filling their sight with its grandeur. There was no color to be found on him: only a thick, empty black that covered his body like skin drawn too tightly. He had no markings to indicate a clan: no clothes or armor, no weapons and no face. Two slits, almost invisible against the black of his head, opened and closed slowly as he breathed. He had no ears, eyes, or mouth. His immense body, easily twice that of InuYasha, towered in a mesh of disproportioned parts. His shoulders were large and very wide set, and from them his body thinned at the waist and split into two long, jointless legs that were built like tree stumps. One arm -his left- hung at his side lifelessly as he stood watching the two strangers, his body slightly hunched forward. There was no elbow to be seen, and the large, fingerless ball of a fist was touching the ground. His right arm was bent over his bold chest, considerably shorter it looked much like a humans, though; the hand was fingerless. His faceless head was hanging lifelessly on an unnaturally long neck, which gave it the appearance that it was bowing. It's whole body was smooth and almost shone in the darkness, wreathed in an evil aura that stood out against the shadows. He had no defined muscles, nor did he seem to have any bones. His chest did not rise and fall with the opening and closing of the slits on his face. InuYasha and Miroku were not even sure that this creature was male, or if it really was a living demon. Miroku took a step backwards after looking the demon over critically, putting a hand on InuYashas elbow nervously.

"What now?" Asked the monk in a voice meant only for InuYasha. The half-demon did not stir, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the demon before them. Without them noticing –until now- the shadows had deepened around them. Miroku could no longer see InuYasha, save a faint outline that he attributed more to his monk training than to his eyes, and the demon was now gone. When it had vanished, or just how, was lost to Miroku. He looked around, surprise and at the same time impressed. "InuYasha, we must be careful. This demon is very powerful."

"Yeah… I noticed." InuYasha answered tersely. His body was tense and his breathing heavy. He was slightly nervous, but over that he was anxious to begin the battle. His sword, the Tetsusaiga, was in his hands. The large, thick blade seemed alive against the darkness: burning with an invisible fire. The shadows swirled around it, breaking and dying away when they drew near. Miroku saw it, and frowned thoughtfully. This was all a spell by the demon, but not a very powerful one by the looks of it.

A diversion, perhaps? Thought the monk. He raised his staff, hold the thick golden bar with both of his hands.

The battle began before either had time to react. The ground beneath their feet rumbled, and then exploded upwards, sending the two flying into the air like lifeless rag dolls. The darkness around them shattered to reveal a red sky, the sun setting in west. The crimson sky was laced with blue lightning and the low rumbling of thunder suddenly filled their ears. They had not been aware that the storm had broken whilst lost in the swirling shadows produced by the demon. Compared to the black they had just experienced, the dusk was blinding. InuYasha caught his balance mid-flight, arching his body around into a front flip. He landed heavily on his feet, kicking up a cloud of dust as he moved to escape the giant clods of earth that fell from the sky. Miroku, meanwhile, was tumbling through the sky haplessly, unable to regain his sight quickly enough to catch himself. Through his disorientation he felt something icy cold wrap around his ankle and he was then yanked from the sky. The demon, with his long arm, had caught Miroku and slammed him into the ground, then raised him up and did it again. Each time he did it he gained more force, and Miroku was soon losing himself to the relentless beating. With an unearthly screech of anguish from the demon Miroku felt himself released, though the arm remained wrapped lifelessly around his ankle. He leapt to his feet, his sense returning quickly, and then again to join InuYasha a few feet away from the now plainly visible demon. He used his staff to free his foot from the dead limb. The Hiraikotsu sailed through the sky, turning tightly and finding its way back to Sango. She caught it effortlessly as Kirara hovered in the sky.

"Miroku!" Called Sango, "Are you alright?"

"Yes!" He waved up at her and smiled vaguely in an effort to prove his claim, "Thanks to you!" Sango frowned down at him, leaning forward to get her voice across the distance between them.

"Be more care-" Sango was interrupted as the demon launched another attack. Kirara was sent spiraling backwards as a ball of black energy collided with her underbelly. It exploded on contact, opening up like a blanket and then engulfing the cat-demon in a skin-tight net of darkness. Sango was sent from Kiraras back by the force of the attack. She watched helplessly, free falling backwards, as her friend was enveloped by the ominous black. She closed her eyes, expecting to hit solid earth. She was surprised, however, as the demon appeared beneath her in time to catch her in his misshapen arms. Kirara fell from the sky like a stone, crashing heavily into the grass.

"Did you see that?" Miroku asked incredulously. Both InuYasha and Miroku had leapt into action at the site of their friends being attacked, but neither had gotten very far before it was all over. Miroku, who was slightly ahead of InuYasha, had hoped to be the one to catch Sango, but he was only a little more than halfway to her. InuYasha stopped, nearly crashing in to the arrested Miroku.

"Yeah!" He said, pushing the monk forward. He snorted indignantly, "He materialized out of the shadows of the clouds. He's a shadow demon alright, and a damn powerful one."

Sango stared up at the faceless demon, completely entranced. The long arm she had severed had grown back and was slowly wrapping itself around her neck like a creeping vine. The touch of it against her bare skin was shockingly cold. It stole her breath away even before it had tightened enough to choke her. He raised her level to his face, her feet dangling high above the ground. She felt as though she were staring into deep, fathomless eyes that captured her very soul. She could not draw away or struggle, or even blink. Her chest was stilled and her senses were dulled. She hardly felt alive, and for the others she did not look it.

Miroku and InuYasha attacked the demon together. Miroku leapt into the air and brought his staff down at the demons head. InuYasha brought the Tetsusaiga slashing down at the arm that held Sango by the neck, cutting it cleanly from the demons body. No blood came from the wound, but the demon did cry out in pain. He reeled backwards in an effort to escape InuYasha, only to have Mirokus' attack make contact. The staff buried itself onto the demons head. It met no resistance from bone or organ, sinking in as if he had struck shaped mud. Miroku pulled the staff backwards, startled. The crater he had created remained, and the demon roared in agony. He doubled up helplessly, moans emanating from nowhere. His left arm grew back suddenly, shooting from the stump with a sickening slurping noise. He groaned the whole while, as if re-growing his limbs caused him almost as much pain as losing them. At the same time as his arm reformed, his head ballooned and the indentation left by Mirokus staff popped outwards. He straightened up, standing calmly. His head turned this way and that, seemingly looking from InuYasha to Sango to Miroku and back again.

"He can heal himself, and does not bleed…" Miroku mumbled to himself, poising for another attack. He raised his staff defensively, never taking his eyes from the demon. "Yet he feels pain… is he immortal?"

While Miroku kept the demon at bay, InuYasha helped Sango to her feet. She was shaken and breathless, but otherwise okay. The icy cold touch that had inflicted her was fading quickly, and her heartbeat had regained its usual rhythm.

"Thanks…" She panted, patting InuYashas shoulder. She shook her head in an effort to clear it. "Oh! Kirara!" She ran to the cat-demons side, nearly shoving InuYasha off of his feet. She knelt beside her fallen comrades head, shocked by the demons condition. Kirara was frozen stiff, her legs bent and captured in the middle of thrashing. Her mouth was open in a tremendous roar of outrage that had never left her throat. Her eyes Her eyes were wild and seemed to reflect fright, but they were empty of life. Her chest was stopped mid-breath. Sango put her ear against the once warm and soft fur of Kiraras chest, but could not make out a heartbeat. Kirara was completely encased in a dark skin of cold, impenetrable glass shadow. It glistened dimly in the starlight, thunderless lightning flashing and lighting it in a strange purple glow. Sango struck it with her fists, each strike growing in desperation. It felt as though she was hitting ice, and soon her blood smeared uselessly over the crystal like surface. Her hands were numb from both the cold and her relentless efforts to break the spell, and so she did not realize that her knuckles had split until she had seen the blood. She ignored the sting that follows noticing a wound and continued to beat her fists against Kiraras chest.

"Sango! Stop it: you're hurting yourself! Come on!" InuYasha wrapped his strong arms around her, stopping her fists by taking one into each of his own hands. He took a few steps back and hoisted her to her feet. "Miroku needs our help!" He let her pull away from him, backing up as she span to face him. She looked as though she wanted to hit him, but she softened as he snorted impatiently. He raised his sword and turned his attention back to the shadow demon. "Come on. The only way to break a spell is to kill the demon that cast it!" With that he leapt off to help Miroku. Sango, after a final glance over her shoulder at Kirara, followed after him.

Miroku, as it so happened, was in dire need of their help. After his first strike he had not been able to land any more attacks. The shadow demon moved with increasing speed and grace as the sun slowly drew closer to the horizon. It dodged Mirokus attacks almost before he could launch them. With his friends so near, Miroku did not dare release the vacuum of his Wind Tunnel, and so he had been forced into defense, only ever having enough time to block the demons attacks. The shadow demon used his long arm like a whip, with expert precision and speed. Miroku soon found himself blocking multiple attacks, or so it seemed with the speed at which they came, and quickly lost what little ground he had. The demon wrapped his arm around Mirokus waist and was whipping him around in the sky like a toy. He held the monks staff in his human like arm, his balled fist wrapped around as if it had been made to hold it.

"How many times do I have to cut this thing off?" Yelled InuYasha. The Tetsusaiga once again sliced through the black arm. InuYasha felt a stronger resistance this time, and had to pull the sword harder in order to sever the arm completely.

_He's getting stronger!_ Thought InuYasha as he turned to watch the demon carefully. Miroku fell from the sky, free from the demons grip. He landed with a thud next to InuYasha, who had taken a step sideways to avoid him. The demon yelped and drew back, his featureless face turned towards the half-demon. InuYasha quailed, his knees buckling. He felt the demons hatred bearing down on him suddenly, a cold grip seizing his heart. He felt, for the first time in a very long time, genuinely afraid. He shook it off quickly, however; his pride too strong to allow for such things. He growled and mumbled something incoherent, then looked down at Miroku.

"You okay?" He asked stiffly. Miroku got up, noting that InuYasha has not sounded very worried. He groaned, leaning forward.

"Yes." He said, painfully straightening up, "My back seemed to have softened my fall." He bitterly rubbed his back, but grew serious as his eyes drifted to the demon, "With the night he grows stronger. If we don't hurry up we may not defeat him."

No sooner had he spoken did Sango attack. She could not hear Miroku, standing behind the demon, but she felt what he was saying. The Hiraikotsu tore through the demons' midsection, cutting his legs cleanly from his top half. Both halves hit the ground soundlessly. Miroku and InuYasha had to jump to avoid a similar fate as the boomerang sliced through the air. It made a wide arch, just beyond where the two had been standing, and returned speedily to Sango. She caught it with both hands. A cloud of dust erupted as she slid across the earth, her feet planted so steadily that she created a skid mark with her heels. The force with which she had thrown the boomerang had only multiplied in its' flight, and she felt lucky that she had not been thrown to the ground when she caught it. InuYasha and Miroku smiled across the decapitated body at Sango, both looking rather smug, but her attention was drawn from them. Kirara had stirred, free from the curse. She quickly returned to her smaller form, her strength extinguished. She mewed pathetically as Sango took her into her arms.

"Oh… Kirara…" She was relieved to see her friend alive, but it was a painful sight. The cat was hardly breathing, her breath coming in long, painfully deep gasps. Blood matted the fur on her stomach where the attack had first struck her. She was shivering violently, despite her fur. "You'll be okay now…" Sango hugged Kirara close to her body, hoping to warm her in this way. Miroku came up behind her, his footsteps soft over the grass.

"Here, let me see her." He said, kneeling down beside them. Sango passed Kirara to him hesitantly. InuYasha walked over to them from the mess of the demon, carrying Mirokus staff. The rings chimed as he walked over to stand just behind Miroku, looking over his shoulder. Miroku ripped from the hem of his robes a bandage for Kiraras deep wounds. Sango stood, feeling as though there was more for her to do. She wandered over to the demons' remains and began to inspect them closely. There was no blood, as before. No little bits of flesh anywhere. The cut had been clean. To Sango, who had done the same to many demons before this one, it had been unnaturally clean. She sighed and reached out a hand to touch the severed end of the bottom half of the demon.

"Hmm… What's she doin'?" InuYasha watched Sango go over to the demon. He made to follow her, but Miroku stopped him.

"I need your help. Can you hold this for me?" He motioned to the bandage. He was having trouble tying it off with Kirara being so small.

"You're useless, you know that?" InuYasha stooped and swatted Mirokus hands away. He took the bandage in his claws and tied it off easily. "There. That wasn't so hard!"

"No, I suppose it wasn't," Said Miroku whimsically. InuYasha eyed him curiously, knowing the monk well enough to see that he was up to something. Miroku stood, holding Kirara to his chest like he would a young child, cradling her in his arm. "We should return to Kagome and Shippo: perhaps you should collect the jewel shard from the demon?"

"What?" InuYasha frowned, his upper lip curling over his fang, "Why do I always have to dig around in corpses?" He crossed his arms over his chest indignantly, as if the very thought insulted him.

"I always thought you enjoyed it." Said Miroku with a laugh. InuYasha tossed him his staff, none too gently. He caught it with his free hand, grinning broadly. The half-demon cursed the monk under his breath, emphasizing certain words for effect. He turned and began to walk sluggishly towards the demon, his head bowed.

Sangos piercing scream cut through the air. As if on cue, the sky was torn open and the clouds unleashed their stored torrent. The rain fell in sheets, relentless and accompanied by thunder and lightning. InuYasha snapped out of his bitter anger at the sound of Sangos cry. He looked up just in time to see Sango collapse. She at first struggled desperately to stay on her feet, but her body seemed to seize and she fell forward into the new mud, lying very still. The upper half of the demon was hovering a few feet above the ground, limbs and head hanging lifelessly. The lower half had completely vanished. InuYasha ran over to Sango, but Miroku got there first. He dropped to his knees, putting Kirara down in the grass hurriedly, but gently. He took Sangos head into his lap, her body as stiff as stone. He put the back of a hand to her cheek and was startled by the cold. She was encased in the same unbreakable purple ice as Kirara had been.

"Look!" InuYasha yelled. He was standing protectively in front of them, Tetsusaiga in hand, his free arm raised in a point. The demon was radiating a strange, thick black aura and its' body was trembling violently.

"He's going to recover his legs!" Miroku yelled over the heavy claps of thunder and the surging tide of rain, "You have to stop him!"

"Damn right I will!" InuYasha raced towards the demon, swinging the Tetsusaiga high above his head. He yelled as he brought it down at the demon, holding nothing back. His attack was halted before the Wind Scar could muster, the thick blade bouncing off an unseen barrier. It was sent flying from his grip. When the Tetsusaiga hit the ground it had transformed back into an old, rusty, beaten sword.

"What the hell?" He said, just above his breath. The sword had not been thrown from his grasp simply because the shadow demon had willed it. It was not strong enough yet for a deed like that. Something had happened during InuYashas attack that he had not expected. He raised his hands before face, turning them over slowly. He watched in dumb horror as his long claws retracted, rounding to form regular fingernails. He felt a strange tingling at the top of his head as his pointed dog ears reshaped themselves and then relocated to the side of his head. His thick silver hair darkened to ebony as his orange eyes flickered and dimmed to an almost black brown. "Fuck!" He looked up at the sky, rain falling in his eyes. Night had fully settled over the valley, with no moon to disrupt the darkness.

The shadow demon, meanwhile, was undergoing his own transformation. As InuYasha lost power, the demon gained it in excessive amounts. His legs sprouted from the severed end of his body with a grotesque pop. His body rippled and tensed, the muscles of his chest and back expanding and crawling beneath his leathery black hide. He rumbled as he transformed, his form completely changing. When his change was complete he seemed to be a totally different demon. He was shorter now, with broad shoulders and a thick, muscular neck. His arms, while one was still too long to be natural, were more shapely and bold. He now had long, strong fingers and thick legs that matched the build of his upper body and well supported his new weight. The only thing that remained the same was his face. It was still smooth and ultimately featureless, save the two slits of a nose that had not moved. They opened and closed at a much quicker pace now, however, whistling shrilly even over the intense rain and thunder. The demon no longer stood with a forward hunch. Instead his shoulders were drawn boldly back and, if it had been at all possible, he would have been grinning cockily.

"InuYasha!" Cried Miroku at the site of his friend. How could they have forgotten the New Moon? It was something so vastly important and yet they always seemed to forget about it. The days of their travels were always long, and thus they easily lost track of the calendar. Without his demon powers InuYasha could not wield the Tetsusaiga, and so was practically helpless now. Sango was immobilized and only Miroku remained at full health, though a bit bruised. He rose, putting Sango down in the wet grass and gathering mud, and reached for the enchanted beads that were wrapped around his right hand. "InuYasha, get behind me!"

InuYasha hurried and collected his rusty sword before he took shelter behind Mirokus knees, bowing over Sangos inert body. Miroku pulled the beads from his wrist and held out his hand with the palm facing forward. A large black hole opened up in the center of his hand instantly and began to act like a mighty vacuum. It roared to life, it's power unfathomable, even by those who witness it: including Miroku. Giant chunks of earth and stone were ripped from the ground easily and then, however massive in size, vanished inside the vortex. Miroku held his right hand stable with his left, the hole-cursed hand outstretched as far as his arm would let him. His short black hair rustled in the swirling winds about his body. The falling rain was pulled from the sky so that the area before him was suddenly dry. Wisps of cloud and even bolts of blinding lighting fell prey to the inescapable pull of Mirokus Wind Tunnel. The Shadow Demon, however, remained stationary. Even as the ground around him fell away in blurred streaks of mud and grass his feet stayed firmly planted. His body did not seem at all affected by the Wind Tunnel: even the strange, flowing black aura around him remained unharmed. Shocked, but undeterred, Miroku held his arm steadfast, his grip tightening and his face hardening in resolve. If the wind itself did not unearth the demons feet then he would simply wait for the ground beneath him to give way. The demon could not escape the pull if he had nothing to brace himself with. The demon raised his hand, mimicking Mirokus' stance. At once Miroku was afraid that the demon would somehow copy the Wind Tunnel, as it seemed it had strength enough to do anything it wished. It wouldn't surprise Miroku should the demon have yet another power to show them. His fear, however, proved to be unfounded. Instead the demons' fingers began to elongate, thinning into flat strips as they got longer, and the waving tops began to flag towards the Wind Tunnel. After a lengthy moment the flattened parts of the fingers gave way to the suction and broke from his hand. Miroku felt them enter the Tunnel with a sharp, bitterly cold sensation that traveled the length of his arm. At once he felt his body seize, suddenly frozen from the inside. He fell to one knee, quickly covering the hole once again with the beads. The blood in his veins seemed now to flow like jagged shards of ice, ripping at him with a terrible touch as it coursed through him. His heart soon began to react to the demons poisoned flesh, slowing as if a hand was holding it tightly, forcing the blood from it and keeping it from pumping. InuYasha was on his feet the instant Miroku went down, the rusty Tetsusaiga in his hands. He caught Miroku by his shoulder, propping the monk up.

"Are you okay?" The half-demon asked, more sincere than the last time. Miroku merely nodded, in answer, too occupied with his internal problems to form words. "Alright. Stay back and keep Sango company: let me handle this!"

InuYasha lunged forward, yelling angrily, the wind rustling through his baggy clothes as the rain lashed at his face cruelly. The demon seemed to watch him come, his face turned towards the black haired InuYasha with a bemused tilt. InuYasha let his foot sink into the mud, and then through himself into the air, bringing his sword down in a diagonal slash that would have cut the shadow demon in two had the fang been transformed. As it was, however, the blade was not strong enough to do anything more than burry itself into the flesh of his boneless shoulder, getting stuck as if it was held there. The demon raised his shorter hand and took hold of the blade, while the other grabbed InuYasha by the neck and pried him forcefully from the trapped sword. InuYasha could not free himself from the demon, despite the slowness and measure with which he moved, for he was lost in a trance. The demon had caught the half-demons eyes with his faceless gaze and, in his human state, InuYasha could do nothing to break the spell. The demon could now kill InuYasha at his leisure.

With this in mind the demon lifted InuYasha by the neck until he was a good foot off of the ground, hanging helplessly limp above the demons head. The demon did not break 'eye' contact and, without turning his head, was able to pull the Tetsusaiga from his shoulder. He then tossed the sword carelessly over his shoulder as one would rubbish. It fell harmlessly to the mud, sinking beneath a murky puddle.

Miroku watched as the demon began to beat InuYasha senseless. He used his fist, newly acquired knees, and even his head to land a variety of blows on his living punching bag. Every move that he made was like gothic poetry in motion: but with a sledgehammer attached to the end of it. He threw InuYasha around like a sac of potatoes, first beating him about the head to render him unconscious and then attacking him freely in whatever manner came to mind. It was obvious that the demon was having some real fun in the spontaneity his spell was allowing him, as muffled gurgles that seemed almost like laughter filled the air. The monk struggled desperately to rise, but it was no use. His body was completely incapacitated by the black poison he had absorbed. The demon took particular pleasure in the guttural sounds InuYasha made when he was punched in the stomach, and the color of his blood as it seeped from the corners of his mouth.

"InuYasha!" Miroku yelled, hardly able to form the word. It was not his voice, however, that took the attention of the demon away from his games. It was a second, much higher voice that came hurrying over the grass. The demon raised his head, turning his blank face towards the source. It was a young girl, running fearlessly towards him. She was staring directly into his face and yet did not fall under his trance. She held a bow notched with an arrow, the string drawn back tightly. There was a fox-demon child on her shoulder, looking just as resolute. The demon turned to face them directly, bending all the malice and power of his stare towards the girl with the clear brown eyes with no avail. The girl halted only twenty feet away from him. The bow was held steadily at his heart, and the girl was not intimidated by the size of her opponent, nor the evil that seemed to pour from him. InuYasha was still in the demons grip, but was now struggling because the demon had lifted his spell at the arrival of the girl. The demons fist did not loosen despite how desperately he sank his fingernails into the demons flesh.

"Release InuYasha right now!" The bow string tightened with a crack as the girl, outlined majestically by the heavy rain, drew it threateningly further back.

"K-Kagome!" InuYasha gasped. He could not breathe. Not only did the grip on his neck keep oxygen from his lungs, the hand that held him was shockingly cold. It made him even more aware of the screaming pain in his chest as his body burned and begged for air. He watched the young girl with one eye closed, his vision too blurred for anything else. The Shadow Demon took a step closer to Kagome. InuYasha was dragged a short distance through the mud, the demons' arms held loosely at his' side. He had a very casual manner, almost tauntingly so. Kagome tensed, her eyebrows furrowing severely.

"Don't come closer! Let him go or I'll shoot off your arm!" Kagome aimed the bow to support her claim. The demon hesitated. Miroku, still struggling against the poison, left Sangos stiff body to join Kagome and Shippo.

"The jewel shard, where is it?" Miroku gasped. The few feet he had traveled seemed to have stolen the remainder of his strength. "Aim for the shard!" Kagome nodded without looking at the monk. Her keen brown eyes had already spotted the shards that empowered the demon. She did not move her bow towards them.

"There are four!" She said, "Two where each eye should be." Hesitating, her bow wavered between the two targets she had chosen. She did not want to shoot for the shards and have the demon, in his death, kill InuYasha. But if she freed him from the demon it might be able to escape with only a small injury. She frowned, closed her eyes briefly, and made her choice. She released the arrow with a twang from the string. As it flew through the air a purple light exploded from its tip, encompassing the entire arrow and leaving a long trail of unbroken radiance in its wake. The demon shrieked in horror and anguish as the arrow sliced through its flesh with ease. His skin and muscle crumbled and tore before the power of the arrow, the light itself dissolving the very fabrics of his evil borne body. He continued howling horribly as his arm fell away from his body. The arrow struck earth and vanished in the mud. Black blood splattered everywhere, and the demon clapped his remaining hand over the wound in an effort to keep at least some of his volume in his body. InuYasha was freed from the demon and rolled away from it the instant he was able. The hand that still gripped his neck fell away as he got to his feet and escaped to join Miroku, Shippo and Kagome. The demon let out a final screech, one so high that it brought Kagome to her knees with her hands clamped over her ears, and vanished in a violent surge of wind. The storm cleared almost instantly, and the starlight shone down behind the last fall of rain.

"Good job Kagome!" Yelled Shippo happily. He bounced up and down on her shoulder and whooped, beating his fists in the air, and then hugged Kagomes face. It was clear that he was happy not only because the demon had gone but that he did not have to confront it himself. His friends, as far as he could see, were alive and okay. "You beat it!"

"Shut up, Shippo. That thing isn't dead." Snorted InuYasha. He stood beside Kagome, after pushing Miroku out of the way, and was helping her to her feet. Kagome looked at him, frowning. "What are you looking at?"

"I…' She blushed and shook her head, "The turn of the cycle. I'm sorry I didn't remember it."

"Yeah, well. I didn't even remember it." He then turned his attention to Miroku, who was sitting in the mud with his head bowed, "You okay?"

"Every time you ask me that," Started Miroku as he looked up and accepted the hand InuYasha was offering him, "I feel you are less than sincere with your concern. But yes, I'm fine. The poison seems to be receding now that the demon has left." He nodded at InuYasha, flexing his right hand and watching it closely, "The spell is broken, I think."

"The demons spell… oh! Sango!" InuYasha looked over his shoulder, searching for and finding the limp body of the demon slayer curled up in the grass. He went over to her, the rest of the group close behind him. He kneeled beside her, taking her into his arms to help her sit up. She was shivering and still rather stiff, but the spell that had imprisoned her was broken and she was breathing deeply after being so long deprived of oxygen. Her cheeks were flushed with blood and her skin was already regaining its color. Kirara, who had been curled in a ball on Sangos chest now rested in her lap. The cat demon was doing better now, no longer trembling as violently as before, but her wounds had already stained the bandage Miroku had given her black with blood. Sango looked up at the black-haired half-demon and blinked, vaguely confused.

"W-what h-happened?" She shuddered, hugging herself closer to the warmth of InuYashas' battered body. He wrapped his arms around her, the long sleeves of the fire-rat robe acting like a blanket. Miroku and Kagome joined the two, Kagome kneeling behind Sango with her arms around her shoulders, weaving through those of InuYasha, and Miroku by her legs, his hands on her knees. Shippo sat with Kirara on her lap. They did not answer right away, each more concerned for her health and getting her warm. She looked about the faces of her friends and felt her strength and the heat of her blood returning to her body. She smiled, resting her head against InuYashas chest. She was utterly exhausted and yet, at the same time, completely content.

"The demon escaped." Miroku said at length. The others nodded slowly, roused from the closeness of the moment by his words. He continued, "With four jewel shards. I do not know where it has gone: I was never able to sense it."

"Puh." InuYasha moved to stand, Kagome taking Sango from his chest to hers as he did so. He moved away from them, walking slowly, painfully to where the Tetsusaiga had been thrown. He bent and picked the rusty sword up, returning it to its scabbard. "Even in this pathetic, useless form I can smell that demons blood. He'll be easy to track: we should go after him now! Kagomes arrow weakened him- he'll be simple to kill now!"

"Are you crazy?" Kagome asked sternly. InuYasha looked as her in bewilderment. She was frowning at him, and Sango was giving him a similar look. Miroku cleared his throat.

"I believe what Kagome means is this: you cannot follow after a demon in your human form. Could it not be possible that you only smell the demon because its blood covers your clothes?" InuYasha crossed his arms over his chest indignantly, snorting at the floor, "None of us are fit to engage that demon again tonight. We are all but human, and need our rest. Sango is fatigued and half frozen: I doubt she can even walk. Kagome must be exhausted by such a long trek from the cliff where we left her, and the power in that arrow surely must have drawn from her own energy. As for myself… my Wind Tunnel is burning from the poison it absorbed. It has subsided, and I do feel my strength returning, but I should not last long if I dare go after that demon again so soon. And you in your human body cannot wield the Tetsusaiga. Without your demon powers you would surely die-"

Before he could continue, Miroku was assailed by both Sango and Kagome. Sango had reacted first, pushing away from Kagome and swinging her hand forcefully to slap the monk hard across the cheek. Her hand fell away and almost instantly Kagomes hand made contact in the same spot. He was sent sprawling over Sangos legs, his face landing in the mud. Shippo and Kirara had fled the moment they had seen where Mirokus hands had been traveling during his speech and now sat at Sangos face, giggling and grinning at the hapless monk. Sangos face was bright red, and even Kagome was blushing for her friend. Miroku, using his words as a cover, had been rubbing Sangos leg. Because she had been so cold she had not complained. She had lsot herself in his words, as the others had, and did not notice his rubbing progress up her leg and across her thigh. She did catch him, finally, once his hand had slipped just above the back of the top of her thigh and there stayed, caressing the spot tenderly. Her sudden tension and short gasp had alerted Kagome to Mirokus actions, and she had reacted in the first way that came to mind. InuYasha looked on in a stupid wonder, blinking at the scene. Miroku pushed himself up, shrinking away from the two girls as both raised their hands again warily. His cheek burned furiously as he sat cross-legged in the mud, his arms resting peacefully in his lap. His look was serene, with a defeated sag in his shoulders and a slight note of pain in his voice.

"I was only trying to warm you, Sango." He said, his eyes closed and his head bowed slightly forward. He sat with his back to the girls, so only InuYasha could see his red cheek, which seemed to glow in the gloom of the moonless night. Sango, still blushing, got to her feet with Kagomes help.

"I'm warm enough, thank you." She said, shivering as she spoke, "Let's return to the cliff: it should be dry there and the view will keep us out of harms way should the demon return." Kagome nodded her agreement. InuYasha stomped his foot, which only succeeded in a splash and a gurgle as his foot disappeared into the mud.

"That will only put more distance between us and the jewel shard! The demon won't risk coming back after getting its arm blown off!" He yelled, raising a threatening fist towards no one in particular, "We don't have to fight him tonight: we'll just follow him! We can't let him get away with the shards!"

"InuYasha." Miroku rose, tucking each arm into the opposite sleeve of his robes, "We cannot travel tonight. The demon was injured badly by Kagomes arrow, and because he ran away I can only assume that he can not heal himself. He will not make good time, even if we give him the night. Let us return as Sango suggests: our possessions are there, anyway." InuYasha snarled bitterly, pulling his foot from the mud with some effort. He sighed, rolling his shoulders back. He looked up at the moonless sky, his dark eyes moving from star to star. Now that the demon had fled InuYasha could see how beautiful the night was. He moved passed Miroku to Kagome and Sango, turning his back to them and offering it to Sango. She accepted the ride and wrapped her arms around his neck. He tucked his arms under her knees and took her on to his back with some effort. Even in his human form he was strong enough to run with someone clinging to him, but injured it was a painful task. Miroku stood and found the Hiraikotsu. He held it against his back and over his shoulder with some difficulty. How ever easy Sango made throwing the bone boomerang did not take away from the fact that it was incredibly heavy.

"Kagome, you can carry Shippo and Kirara, can you not?" He asked with a grunt, moving closer to the group.

"Of course!" She stooped as she answered and Shippo leapt onto her shoulder once more. Kagome took Kirara carefully into her arms. "Poor thing… are you badly injured, Kirara?" The cat-demon mewed timidly, murring softly as she got comfortable in the cradle of Kagome arms.

"Alright, fine. Let's get going already." InuYasha said, already walking across the muddy, flooded grass. Miroku and Kagome followed after him, exchanging equally smug glances. InuYasha was just as eager for a rest as they were, despite his numerous complaints.

"When we get there…" Said Sango in a dreamy voice, already drifting off to sleep, "wake me. I have seen a Shadow Demon like this before…"

"You've seen on before? Why didn't you tell us this earlier, you know: when we were fighting it?" InuYasha snapped, looking back at her. But she did not reply; sleep already overcoming her. "Feh."

* * *

Kagome and Shippo lay in the shadow of a rock a few feet away from the edge of the small cliff. The fox-demon rested in the girls' arms and she slept with a peaceful smile on her face. The night was deeper now: a couple of hours had passed since the battle had ended and InuYasha, despite her request, had let Sango sleep. He now woke her and she joined him and Miroku at a small campfire. The three sat equal distances apart, the fire between them flickering shadows across their tired faces. 

"Sango." Said Miroku, yawning slightly. Though he was fatigued, his sapphire eyes burned as brightly as the flames. He did not look at either of his friends as he spoke, instead keeping his gaze fixed on the center of the fire, "How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted. But better. Has the poison flushed itself from your blood?"

"Enough with the small talk!" InuYasha blurted out, already annoyed. He made sure to keep his voice low enough not to wake Kagome, "Sango, you said you've seen a demon like this before?"

Sango nodded, looking at the half-demon directly. He had wrapped his injuried, but not very well. He didn't see the need, considering they weren't fatal and he would recover once his demon body was restored. His black hair shone in the light of the fire, making it seem as if it, too, were alight. The same could be said about his eyes, though, it was not the reflection of the fire that made them so bright. He, of the three of them, seemed the least weary and was eager to learn all he could about this new enemy. She smiled at him, and he looked a bit confused, which only broadened her pleasant smile.

"Yes, when I was much younger. It was not as powerful as this one, nor did it have the power to change its form. Still, it was a challenge for my father and the others of our village. This demon attacked a near by village, murdering anyone in its path. Rumor of its horrible destructive nature came quickly to us through our scouts, and many of the villagers begged the warriors to stay: to let the demon find whatever it was looking for and move on, so our kin did not have to risk facing such a beast. But my father could not allow such a terrible thing to go on unchallenged. I followed him when he left with a group of others. It was dawn when they attacked it and it still managed to slaughter many of the slower or weaker of the group. Shadow demons, you see, cannot fight at full strength in the light of the sun. Or, that was what we had thought. But this demon was hardly affected by the morning sunlight, and my father alone managed to escape the battle unscathed. It was because he resolved not to let the demon touch him: it did not have the right to. Or so that's how I saw it as I watched from the branch of a tree. My father fought with a terrible force that I had never seen in him before, just because the demon had so enraged him with its senseless bloodshed. That was when I decided I would be like my father and grow to kill those monsters that existed only to feed upon the helpless. But this demon… he was borne of shadows, and even in the light of early day it was almost too much. No matter how my father attacked it, despite how many limbs he chopped off or wounds he inflicted the demon recovered and kept on attacking. It was bred for the sole purpose pf murder, and so could not allow itself to be killed easily. At last my father severed the thing in half, after many of the slayers he had brought with him had fled of fallen. Impossible waves of pure black blood poured from the wound. It burned my fathers armor like a very potent acid. But it was dead. The high noon sun destroyed what remained of its shriveled body and my father returned to the village to a heroes welcome…" Sango had bowed her head during her tale, her voice dropping so that it was only just audible over the crackle of the dying fire. After a pause, InuYasha stirred.

"That's a nice story, but it doesn't tell us anything. You cut the demon in half, just like your dad, but it didn't die! It didn't even bleed. Sango, there must be more? How can we kill this thing?"

"There is more, though, I don't know how useful it will be to us. This demon… it was not of our world. The living, breathing world that people are born into by nature or by the will of the Gods. This demon was created entirely from a concentrated, unadulterated mold of human malice. We never did discover just who spawned such a thing, or why it set upon our neighbors, but the priest that came to bless the area where the demons blood had ruined the land told us how it could have came into being. Any human, be it a king or a wanderer, has the power to create the most horrible of beasts, just by the darkness of their souls. If they had suffered a hurt or a disappointment, or harbored some long secret ill will towards someone, or a bitter hatred of some far off land… all they would have to do is find an enchanted wax mold, which also has good purposes, and pour from their very heart, mingled in with their own blood, the harbored blackness and the evil intent of their darkest nightmare… and from the wax mold would be created a ball of the deepest of shadows, terrible and woeful to behold. The human could then nurture the ball with their tainted soul and, with every ill thought, the demon would be formed. What form is impossible to predict: the blacker the human heart the more grotesque the form. The demon is an extension of the humans heart… and so anything it does the human can see and control directly. But the demon can also act on its own, though, it can never be parted from its human. When my father killed the Shadow Demon so many years ago… nothing like it ever returned to the village. We thought that this could mean the human, with the shock of suddenly losing the black half of his heart, had died. So the priest thought too…"

Miroku shifted uncomfortably.

"So, then, we must find the human that is controlling this demon. We cannot defeat the blackness of his heart, and so must go and destroy the body. Though there is something fundamentally wrong with slaying a human so thoughtlessly, if he is so absorbed by the purest of evils of his own heart than perhaps death is too good a fate for him."

"Yeah, well, I'll give the bastard what's coming to him." InuYasha said, his tone rather calm, "I knew we should have followed the thing. It probably went back to its human. Now we'll have to do it in the morning. Oh well. Sango, go back to sleep now: I can see you shivering from here. Miroku; you too. I don't want to hear either of you whining that you're tired tomorrow." He rose, moving from the small ring of firelight to take a cross-legged sitting position atop the large rock that looked over Kagome and Shippo. Sango smiled, looking down at Kirara, who was sound asleep in her lap.

"He's not as tough as he likes to pretend." She said, rubbing Kiraras' ears softly. "Will you put out the fire, Miroku? I can hardly keep my eyes open."

"Yes, I can hear that in your voice. I will extinguish it, do not worry about that. Go ahead and lay down." He stood and bent over, gathering dirt to throw on the low fire. Sango did as Miroku told her, resting her head on her Hiraikotsu while hugging Kirara to her chest like a stuffed animal. As he was covering the flames and stamping them out, Miroku spoke to her, "Sango… the story of your father and the battle with the Shadow Demon was a stirring one. You spoke of him in such high reverence… I know it must have been difficult for you. After witnessing his unfortunate demise at your brothers' hands… I do not know where you get the strength. Though he did not say so, InuYasha appreciates all that you have told us tonight. It really will help us destroy the demon and gather those shards. I, too, appreciate the strength you show us on a continual basis. Sango… it's because of this strength that I must ask you, though you have always so kindly denied me in the past, if you-"

"She's asleep, you idiot." Came InuYashas voice from somewhere in the darkness, "Shut up and do the same."

Miroku cleared his throat, kneeling beside Sango. InuYasha was right: the demon slayer was fast asleep. She was snoring ever so lightly, lying on her side with her back to the monk. His eyes traveled down the length of her body and he forced himself to resist the temptation. He instead directed his attention to her shivering. She had still not been able to shake the icy feeling of the spell the shadow demon had paralyzed her with only hours before. Smiling vaguely, Miroku settled himself beside her, draping his arm over her shoulder carefully. She let out a soft sigh and the monk hesitated, fearful that he had woken her up. She leaned back against his chest, smiling because of his warmth. Miroku yawned and relaxed, closing his eyes. Sleep came swiftly to the monk, the rest blessed with pleasant dreams.


	4. Chapter 3

**(Not half as long as the last one, but oddly incomplete. This is where I stopped writing. It's not like me to stop in the middle of a chapter, but there you go. It lacks closure, see? At least it's back to the 'regular' time line of the story. No day before or day after stuff. From here on out I planned to write straight I think... I don't remember. Here it is, anyway, the last almost-complete chapter. Still haven't managed to fix the grammar problems. As always, read, review and be merry at your own discretion.)

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**Chapter 3:**

It promised to be a bright and hot day. The sun, though it had not climbed very high, was already beating down over the low valley. InuYasha hardly registered the sun as he raced across the grass. His eyes were trained on the forest that was steadily growing on the horizon. It was a black spot against an endless sea of green. The trees were tall and closely bunched together, the bushes so heavily overgrown that they created a nearly impassible thicket of thorns and dead branches. The tops of the gnarled, black leafed trees were interwoven tightly, each tree practically growing out of the one beside it. In this way the forest blocked out the bright sun. The shadows of the tall trees stretched out across the grass in long, grotesque forms that looked more like a gaggle of demons that a living bit of nature. InuYasha came to a stop at the tip of these shadows. He sniffed at the air cautiously, Sango's warning of a trap returning to his ears. This place was as dark as any night, and so the Shadow Demon could fight with all of his power, despite the brilliant sun. But InuYasha was not hindered by his human body this time: he could fight it on an even level now. It was injured, after all. His keen tawny eyes narrowed sharply and he made his decision, rushing forward and breaking through the line of the overgrown forest with his claws.

_I don't care if this demon is at full power! I'll rip it apart with my claws! _He thought to himself, growling as he tore through the bramble with ease. His pointed dog ears perked forward and he stopped his assault on the forest abruptly. He turned his head slowly from side to side, searching every corner of the wood. Something had rustled in the bushes around him, and though he had been making quite a racket with his claws he had not missed the unmistakable crunch of light footfalls. Someone was following him. A wind picked up from off to his right, and when he turned it blew dust and debris from the ruined bushes into his eyes. The footsteps picked up again, only to vanish suddenly as the wind began to howl. InuYasha held his arms over his face, his feet biting into the earth as the sourceless wind roared around him, threatening to blow him over.

"Damn it, where'd this wind come from!" The half-demon muttered, his eyes peering at the forest from behind the safety of his Robe of the Fire-Rat. He noticed someone, a mere shadow of a fleeting movement, disappearing into the forest soundlessly off to his left. He leapt after it, the wind at his back, pushing him forward. As he followed the figure the forest before him seemed to open, allowing him a path that closed when he passed. He was not worried by this, however, as he knew he would be able to easily slice his way back. He did not consider the fact that he might get lost. After numerous sharp turns and circles, InuYasha caught sight of his quarry. Long wisps of raven hair disappeared behind a tree. InuYasha was a moment behind it, and yet it was gone. He was stopped in his tracks suddenly as long, gnarled roots crawled from the underbrush and wrapped around his ankles. They steadily climbed up his legs and around his waist. Snarling bitterly, InuYasha swung his claws and tore at the thick vines, but for all that he tore away more grew to replace it, until his arms were caught and wrapped tightly at his sides. One thick vine worked its way up his body, wrapping itself around his neck. The tip of the vine cradled his chin, turning his head and pinning it slightly to the left. It wanted to show him something and, because the vine was surprisingly strong, he could do nothing but look. He did have the option of closing his eyes for some sort of protection, but simple curiosity over-powered him and he looked on in wonder, not yet seeing anything he needed protecting from. His gaze fell across a small clearing. He was half hidden behind a tree, obscuring his view. There was nothing to be seen. InuYasha began struggling against the cocoon of vines, trying desperately to pull at least one arm free.

"InuYasha…"

He jerked his head in surprise, a movement that spurred the vine around his neck and face to redouble its grip. What was that? A voice on the wind. It sounded familiar, but distant, carried by a breeze that still rustled through InuYasha's silver tassels. He blinked. Two shadows now loomed across the valley floor, stretching towards each other without any lights to guide them. From his position, InuYasha could only see one person, and only in silhouette. He gasped, gargling as the vine tightened one more. He recognized the form, even in the shadows of the trees. It was a young girl with long hair, and thick bangs. Her left arm was held out from her body with a bow gripped tightly in that hand. Her right hand was drawn back, the elbow bent tightly, pulling the bow string as far back as it would go. An arrow was notched on the string. Her face was turned in profile, looking intently at her target.

"Kagome…" InuYasha breathed, at a loss. When did she get here? Her voice rang in her head, soft most of the time, but capable of strength and defiance. Her voice, however, had not been the one on the wind. They were similar in strength, but the one carried to his ears had also a malice to it that he knew Kagome was incapable of. His mind clicked and his eyes darted across the ground. He could not see the actual person, but settled for the shadow. He could see that it was woman with hair that cascaded down her back. She was wearing a long sleeved kimono of some sort with baggy pants that fell around sandaled feet. She held a bow, longer than Kagome's, with a notched arrow.

"They're… aiming at each other?" InuYasha didn't realize he was speaking out loud. He knew who the other archer was. He could hardly believe it. None of this was making any sense to him. "Kagome! What are you doing here? Did Sango bring you? Hey! You listening to me? What are you doing!" His voice fell flat in the dead air. The two archers did not heed him. An unnatural silence fell over the area. InuYasha felt smothered by it, like his ears had popped and he had suddenly become deaf. His mouth was moving, and he knew he was calling Kagome's name, but no sound penetrated the blanket of silence. A soft wind blew from nowhere, slowly picking up as it rustled the black tree noiselessly. InuYasha closed one eye against the wind, cursing inwardly.

_Not this again! Damn it! I can't get free!_

The silence was shattered by a sharp, piercing laughter. InuYasha yelled in agony, shaking his head as violently as he could against the vine to escape the noise that burst into his mind. It was surprising that he could now hear himself, but he was preoccupied from this thought by the blood that seeped from his ringing ears. He felt as if his head was splitting from one ear to the other. He continued to writhe and yell in anguish, but the more he moved the more immobile he became. The laughter raged on, assailing his ears and mind. It consumed his entire body, becoming all that he knew. Thoughts of Kagome and the shadow were lost to him. His innards seized, sending wave after wave of pain through his body. Blood ran from his ears, nose and mouth. He choked and gagged on it, his screams turning into gargles. He was on the verge of succumbing to the hazy black that crept in the corners of his vision when he was released. The laughter cut off and the trembling forest returned to a deep, almost serene quiet. The vines crawled back into the earth. InuYasha fell forward, his face hitting the dirt before his body. He trembled, his blood rushing about in an effort to revive him. He did not move for a long time, his ears still screaming at him and his head still swimming. Ten minutes passed before he felt strength return to his limbs. He pushed his hands under his stomach and worked to sit on his knees. The effort left him wavering as the world span around him at a dangerous speed. He watched the blurred trees for a short moment before doubling up and being violently sick. He coughed and sputtered, whipping his bloody mouth with the back of his hand. He snarled, feeling his anger rise and his strength return with it. His nails bit into his palms as he got to his feet, his sheer determination the only reason his body complied.

"InuYasha…"

The voice again. Clearer this time. InuYasha blinked furiously, clearing his vision the best he could. Now he was free to go to the two in the clearing. They had not moved. Both stood like stone monoliths, bow and arrow ready. The half-demon moved past the tree that had blocked his vision, making sure to kick it bitterly. It was her, he knew it before he saw her. His strength waned and he had to lean against the tree he hated just to stay on his feet, but at least now he was in front of it. He could see her.

"Kikyo!"

She, like Kagome, was a silhouette of shadow against the forest. She did not heed him, her face turned towards Kagome in an unwavering stare. InuYasha saw her pull the arrow slightly back, readying to let it sing. He snapped his head around in time to see Kagome do the same. He gaped for a split second, then pushed himself from the tree. He took one step and time stopped around him. The forest vanished. The ground under his feet fell to shadow and the horizon that separated forest floor from forest tree was gone. He stopped, lurching backwards involuntarily. On either side of his vision stood the featureless black image of a woman. Kikyo and Kagome. They were wreathed in a purple flame. They pivoted, their bodies turning in step towards InuYasha. Twin bows leveled at him. The song of the flying arrows was a horrible symphony to InuYasha's still burning ears. He managed a short gasp, which had every intention of being a cry of surprise, before two blazing arrows pierced both of his shoulders. Time restored. InuYasha was rocketed backwards by the force of the arrows. He slammed against a tree, the back of his head smashing painfully against the cold bark. Two more arrows shattered both his knees, and he was sufficiently bound by the pain of his limbs. Wincing, he raised his eyes just in time to see the two shadows dematerialize like wisps of smoke.

"K-Kagome… K-Kikyo…" He breathed, his mind boggling haplessly. He was alone now, pinned to a tree by four arrows. He bowed his head, lacking the strength of both body and will to keep it up. A soft wind washed over his battered and bruised body. It was warm. Comforting. InuYasha inhaled deeply. In an instant his head was up, nose to the wind.

"That smell!" He said to himself between whiffs, "Naraku!"

The scent was everywhere at once, coming and going as the wind blew. InuYasha cursed himself for not noticing it sooner. Everything had been a trap. Kagome, Kikyo; probably even the Shadow Demon. Naraku wanted InuYasha away from his friends, lost and trapped in this forest where light could not penetrate the trees. InuYasha watched as the long shadows at his feet, his own included, began to stretch and shift, dancing in swirls around each other, connecting and twisting. They over lapped each other, compressing together to form a large swirling black bulge on the ground. The lump of shadows grew and contorted, folding over itself like clay to form a thick torso that rose from the ground like a tree stump. The bottom of it tore away into two sections, molding slowly and carefully into muscular legs. The upper part spawned arms that at first dangled lifelessly downwards, but soon thickened. The ends of each arm split into five long fingers, with one arm obviously longer than the other. The head was the last thing to form. It popped out between finely sculpted shoulders comically, like a flower from beneath snow. It settled onto a thick neck, faceless save for two slits that worked as a nose.

"You again?" InuYasha spat, wrinkling his nose. "Didn't learn your lesson, eh?" He wiggled helplessly against the tree, the intense pain from the arrows preventing him from freeing himself. His limbs felt heavy and lifeless, frozen beyond cold by the shadows that seeped into his veins from the arrow tips. He puffed out his chest and snarled. It was all he could think to do. The shadow demon bobbed, his body shaking in a voiceless laugh. InuYasha opened his mouth to say something, but shut it again as the demon raised a hand. The palm was facing outwards, level with the half-demon's chin. The long fingers reached up past InuYasha's eyes, which surprised the half-demon. The demon methodically moved his hand forward, taking the whole of InuYasha's face into his grip. InuYasha yelped angrily, his eyes narrowing in a shock of fear, but his cry was muffled. He tried to pull his head away but could not, the lithe fingers of the Shadow Demon deceptively strong. No matter how hard he struggled, InuYasha could not pull free. His mouth and nose were cut off from air by the vice-like grip. His lungs seared, calling for oxygen desperately.

_I can't breathe! _Thought InuYasha, his tawny eyes glued on the Shadow Demon's featureless muzzle. He was helpless, his arms dangling without feeling at his sides. Naraku, who he had no doubt was somehow watching, was winning this round: InuYasha was completely at his mercy.

* * *

Kirara and Sango cut through the air, both pairs of keen eyes following the path InuYasha was traveling. He was fast, moving at a startling speed even by the standards they were used to. He soon vanished into the forest, just as Kirara fell suddenly from the sky. Sango clung tightly to the cat-demon's fur as she made her rough landing. Kirara managed to catch herself and pull from the fall with time enough to land heavily on her feet. Her knees buckled and gave way, and the cat collapsed to the ground, panting heavily as blood seeped slowly from her underside into the dead, shadowed grass. Sango leapt quickly from Kirara's back. The cat demon, her energy spent, shrank down into her innocent form. 

"Kirara, thank you. Rest now. I'll be back soon, after I find InuYasha." Sango, who was kneeling at Kirara's side, ran a comforting hand through the cat-demon's fur. The cat responded with a purr, sighing and folding her small paws under her body for comfort. Sango rose, peering at the forest.

_Where did he get to?_ She wondered, her eyes searching the ground for any clue as to where he had gone. She had seen him enter the forest, but from above. At this angle, level with the trees, she could not easily translate his position in such a way that she could follow him. Slowly, warily, she moved towards the thick line of trees. Broken twigs and shattered dry leaves told her that InuYasha has passed this way. She hesitated, bathed in shadow, lost for a moment as the trees seemed to reach out around her. There was something very evil about this forest. Her stomach turned over and she took an instinctive step back. There was no light all of a sudden: all she could see were the trees closest to her. She did not remember entering the forest, though now she was enveloped by it. Her back pressed against the cold wood of a tree and she jumped in surprise, drawing her katana from its sheath and spinning to face it. When she realized it was harmless she sighed, replacing the sword. How the tree had come to be there she did not know, but it was clear to her there was no going back. The tree was surrounded heavily on both sides by thick, thorny bramble and numerous other closely packed trees. The only path available to her was a narrow one that stretched, unbroken, deeper into the forest. Sango drew a deep breath, turning on her heels as she steeled herself, and then plunged into the forest as if into water. Her first few paces were quick and breathless, her eyes darting about cautiously. The scenery never changed. She passed the same grey, crooked trees, the same cluster of colorless underbrush. Her footsteps slowed, her breath returned, and she came to a stop. The path she had been following was now, in the blink of an eye, gone. She turned to retrace her steps only to find the same, cold grey tree from before blocking her path. Huffing slightly, Sango turned around again. To her utter surprise, and slight horror, the same tree was before her again, surrounded still by on impenetrable wall of forest. Her heart fluttered and she turned to her left, then back again and to her right, and then in a full circle. Wherever she looked she saw the same thing. She felt her body begin to tremble as her fear mounted, but she refused to let it get the better of her. This had to be some sort of trick, and she was simply falling for it.

"InuYasha!" She called. Her voice reverberated off the trees, filling the small area. She winced at the sound, closing her mouth. No sound, it seemed, could get out of the tiny area in which she was now trapped. A shiver crawled down her spine as this thought trailed through her mind.

_What if I'm trapped here?_ She wondered, feeling suddenly claustrophobic, _If I can't free myself? No, there has to be some way out of here._ She drew her katana and raised it over her head, ready to cut her way through.

"Sango!"

She froze, a cold wind blowing through her hair from her back. It carried InuYasha's voice, though faintly. It sounded like he needed her help. She turned to face the breeze and her heart skipped a beat. Before her was open forest. There was no path, but the underbrush was not impassibly thick and the trees were well spaced.

"What the hell is going on here?" Sango breathed to herself. She felt a thick, nearly tangible evil in the air, carried on the same wind that brought InuYasha's voice, Was he in danger? She hesitated. Her body refused to go deeper into the forest.

_Why am I so scared?_

"Sango!" It was InuYasha's voice, no stronger than before. The Demon Slayer peered into the darkness before her. There was movement behind a far tree, and she spotted the faint outline of InuYasha. He leaning on a tree, robed in shadows, his face turned towards her. He raised one hand as she stared at him, waving for her to follow him. "You comin'?"

He did not give her time to respond, leaping off into the forest with a laugh that lingered in his wake.

"Wait!" Sango cried. She ran after him, despite her misgivings. It was difficult to run through the thick underbrush, especially because she had not dawned her Demon Slayer uniform. She had left that, her poison filter mask and her basic supplies with Kagome, Shippo, and Miroku. She had only her regular clothes –kimono and skirt-, the Hiraikotsu strapped to her back and her katana. She used the sword to cut away the gripping brambles as she rushed after InuYasha. "InuYasha! Hold on!"

She ran after him, gaining on him quickly. He was waiting for her. He stopped in the middle a small clearing, his back to Sango as she approached. She was panted; he had led her on quite a chase. With all the turns he had taken, once even turning completely around and leaping past Sango to go back the way he had come, she was sure they were utterly lost.

"InuYasha, where are we?" She had followed him assuming he was leading her somewhere important. Not she was not so sure. Breathless, she put her hand on his shoulder, which vanished beneath her touch. She drew back, eyes narrowing in surprise as his form faded away completely. "A trap!" She bumped into a tree and leaned against it as she gathered herself. Long black tendrils crept slowly from the branches above her, slipping like snakes down the trunk. She felt on touch her arm and she pulled herself from the tree before she was bound to it. The thick black vines fell from the tree, slinking through the dead grass. Sango held her katana in front of her as she took a wary step backward. The crawling vines reminded her instantly of the Shadow Demon. He had set this up. She stopped, poising to attack. A howling wind picked up suddenly at her back, blowing so powerfully that it knocked her legs out from underneath her. She toppled backwards, landing heavily on top of the Hiraikotsu, the katana flying from her grasp. The black vines were on top of her before she had time to recover from the fall. They wrapped like living rope around her ankles and up to her knees. A thick band bound her around the chest tightly, pressuring her ribs to such a degree that she felt them cracking. Her arms were spread out perpendicular from her body, straps around her wrists. Her neck and forehead were also strapped down. Every vine of shadow sank into the ground, immobilizing the Slayer completely. She stared up at the treetops, struggling uselessly. At her feet, through the corner of her sight, she could make out someone emerging from a thick blanket of shadow. She strained to see who it was, but it was impossible to see past her own chest. A small, pure white feather fell from nowhere, tumbling gracefully through the air. It fell by her face, tickling her cheek. The touch sent a shiver through her body.

"Well, well. Look what I've caught in my net." The wind seemed to speak, the voice swirling around Sango's head with a strong, stubborn edge to it. Sango tried to pinpoint the source of the sound, but it was impossible. It was the wind: everywhere at once and yet coming from nowhere. "The Demon Slayer. Sango, is it not? Alone in this wretched Forest of Shadows, without you pious boyfriend to protect you. How fun."

"Where are you, witch! Why are you hiding behind this wind?" Sango asked, "Stop toying with me: I know it's you, Kagura." The wind picked up considerably, blowing dust, dead leaves and bits of underbrush over Sango's body. She shut her eyes tightly and held her breath. The debris whirled around her in a small tornado. It quickly gained in speed and power, until it was a roaring wall of cutting wind that circled around Sango with only a small berth. She felt the force of it as it whipped at her hair and clothes. Her ears were assaulted by the roar of the wind, her eyes left tearless and painfully dry. Through this wall stepped the woman Sango had called to. Kagura, the wind sorceress, stood to the right of Sango, staring down at her with a less-than-pleased expression. She had one hand on her hip; the other held a closed fan to her chin thoughtfully. Her colorful, multilayered kimono rustled in the wind. She snorted, waving the unopened fan in agitation.

"You're in no position to throw insults around, my girl." She said pointedly, smiling vaguely. Sango growled, her stinging eyes locked boldly and defiantly on Kagura's. She attempted with one arm to reach her katana, which rested only a centimeter away from the tip of her fingers. Kagura stepped once, putting her foot on top of Sango's hand. She twisted her foot around slightly, digging her heel into Sango's palm. The Demon Slayer whimpered, clenching her teeth and seething up at Kagura. "No weapons." She moved her foot and lightly kicked the sword into the tornado, where it quickly vanished.

"What are you doing here?" Asked Sango through gritted teeth. Kagura looked thoughtful for a moment, tapping the fan against her chin. She then shrugged, putting her hand into the wind as if it were water. It swirled around her hand harmlessly, a hole forming in the thick wall. Sango felt that same affect would not happen should she try.

"A bit of fun, I suppose." Sango arched an eyebrow at the answer. Did she mean her own fun, or that of her Master, Naraku? Kagura did not acknowledge her quizzical glare, walking slowly around the top of Sango's head and out of the Demon Slayer's sight. "Not for you, of course." She continued wickedly. Sango struggled to follow the witch, but was so tightly bound she could not even raise her head. Still, she had the ability to talk, and she would utilize it.

"So you're controlling that Shadow beast? Was it born of Naraku?"

"Hmm." Kagura mused, rolling her shoulders back, "No. I'm surprised you know of this creature. To ask that question… but no. Naraku did not create it. If he had, do you really think it would be so weak?"

"Then what is it?" Sango squirmed in an effort to loosen her hands. Any room she gained was quickly taken as the black bonds tightened. She groaned, determined to free herself.

"Just a borrowed minion. You know, you're just making it worse on yourself."

"Free me! Ugh, I don't have time for your childish games, witch!"

"There's that language again. I give you points for spunk. In a hurry, are you? Chasing after that little mutt, I suppose. I wouldn't worry about him, he has company. Besides, you should be more concerned about your own situation." Kagura snapped her fingers and the earth itself seemed to respond. Sango could feel the found at her back crawling beneath her, sending uncomfortable shivers up and down her spine. The ground then fell away completely. It felt as though her mind went with it, and before she could recover her senses, Sango found herself floating. The thick, black shadows only tightened around her body, keeping her legs bound tightly together and her arms out from her sides. They pulled her upright. The roaring winds closed in around her, stopping at the very tips of her fingers. Her long brown hair, loose now after the white ribbon that had kept it back succumbed to the winds, whipped around her face randomly, getting in her eyes and mouth. Despite her current straights, Sango seemed only irritated by her hair.

"Kagura! What are you doing!" The Demon Slayer's voice was hardly audible over the tornado. The witch did not respond. Sango could see nothing through the sheets of wind, and did not know that Kagura was standing directly in front of her, grinning broadly as she watched the circle of wind once again begin to get smaller. The sorceress's eyes flashed in excitement as the first of Sango's cries of pain pierced the air.

* * *

"What is it, Miroku?" Kagome asked, looking up as the monk got to his feet. Miroku did not respond, his clear blue eyes scanning the horizon intently. He stood silently for a long moment, watching something interesting, and yet unseen to both Kagome and Shippo. Then, as if suddenly disinterested, he sighed and looked down to meet Kagome's quizzical gaze. 

"I felt something, but it passed." He said simply. She motioned for him to join her once more on the ground, but he declined with a quick shake of his head.


End file.
